Starkid Oneshots

Robert Manion- Demolishing

2019

I had come to LA 2 years ago, I hadn't expected to move here permanently as I had never really enjoyed the atmosphere of the city. However, I quickly realised that the job opportunities for a stage manager were good here, and so eventually I uprooted my life. The work had been slow but steady since then and about a year ago I had been hired as the assistant stage manager for a show put on by a theatre company called Starkid. I have to say, that show was one of the best times I had had on a show and I had jumped at the chance to come back again as assistant stage manager for their new show Black Friday.

Today is our first day in the theater after working in a rehearsal room for the last few weeks. I had gone out on a coffee run at the end of lunch, as I enter the theater again I can hear the actors working on a fight sequence. I push the theater door open with my shoulder and wander down the steps towards the stage, watching them as they go through the sequence. Nick nods at me in thanks as I place his coffee down in front of him. I handed one to Paul and watched as the actors ran through it, I could see Nick scribbling down notes out of the corner of my eye. They finished the scene and Nick called out

"Alright, that looked pretty good. Come and grab your coffee if you wanted one and we'll talk it through, I just want to make a few alterations." The people on stage come towards me and I start handing out the drinks to them. There were so many of them I had had to get two trays of coffee. The last person to get theirs is Robert who smile sat me and holds out his cup, I laugh and tap mine against his in a cheers. He takes the seat beside me as Nick starts going over his notes from the last run through. I make a mental note of anything that I need to write down in my ASM bible later and the rehearsals begin again.

I head off at 6 that night, saying goodbye to everyone and telling them that I'd see them in the morning. I walk outside with Lauren, chatting as I walk to my bus stop, after she leaves I put my headphones in and the bus comes a couple of minutes later.
It is almost 7 by the time I get home, checking my mailbox as I take the stairs up to my apartment. There's a few letters that I hold in my mouth as I turn the key in the lock. There's soft music playing from inside the apartment and I call out to my roommate Bec.

"Hello! Did you already make dinner or should I?" her footsteps patter towards me and she soon emerges from her bedroom.

"Hey babe. No I haven't made anything sorry. I've been furiously packing up my room since I got home. Do you mind?" she says

"Mind that you're moving out and leaving me all alone here? Yes. Mind making dinner? No." I smile at her as I sift through the mail, seeing one from the building owners. I rip into it and open it up as she begins waffling about her day. My eyes skim the pages, and my mouth falls open.

"Ah shit" I say and Bec looks up at me quizzically. I begin to read it out to her. "Dear Tenants. We regret to inform you that the property in which your apartment resides has been purchased by new ownership and is set to be demolished. The date written on this letter marks the beginning of your mandatory 45 days notice. Fuck." I finish, throwing my head back in frustration. "Looks like we're both moving out." She looks at me empathetically. "And 45 days from today will be right in the middle of the run of the show" I groan, she hums in sympathy.

"Oh that sucks. I'm sorry" she says "hopefully you can find a place before then so you don't have to move right in the middle of the run."

"Yeah, hopefully. Although you know how hard it is to find a place in LA, I'm lucky I even found this place."

"You will be fine. I'm sure of it. How were rehearsals today?" she asks, changing the subject.

"Yeah really good, it's coming along really well. Did you get your tickets yet?"

"Nope. Trisha and I will get them as soon as we get settled into our new place." I nod, my head spinning. "Are you and Robert going to video chat again tonight?" she asks, leaning against the bench.

"I don't know. It's been a few nights since we last did so I wouldn't be surprised." I say, snapping out of the absentminded trance I was in and beginning to grab the ingredients for dinner. She nods her head, a soft smile on her face. We chat while I cook and then sit down to eat together. She had just begun on the dishes when I heard my phone going off and I looked down to see it was Robert, I answer it and his face is soon on my screen.

"Hey Robert!" I say, and Bec turns round and raises her eyebrows at me suggestively. I ignore her.

"Hey, how are you?" I can hear his Australian accent coming through.

"Yeah I'm alright thanks" I say as I walk through into my bedroom and collapse onto my bed. He's sitting in his bedroom as well, with his head propped up against a wall. We chat for ages and eventually I tell him about my new housing issue. .

"Oh that sucks" he says, his brow furrowing slightly through the screen. I shrug and then sigh, not really sure how to respond. We talk for another little while and eventually hang up and I go straight to bed, utterly tired.

The next day at lunch I began my online search for a new apartment. There were a few options but generally slim pickings of apartments which I could comfortably afford. After a little while I felt someone walk up beside me, looking up I see Robert towering over me. We greet each other and he sits down.

"What are you doing?" he asks, putting some more food into his mouth.

"Apartment hunting" I say, "it's already doing my head in"

"Oh yeah! About that, I spoke with Jon this morning and we both agree that if you can't find a place in time, you can totally come and stay with us until you do." he says through his mouthful of food. I smile at him.

"Thank you so much!" I say, turning my body to face him. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that but it's really amazing to have that back-up"

"Of course!" he smiles, we sit there silently for another few minutes, just content in each-other's company before we hear Nick start to bring everyone back to rehearsals. Robert rises from his seat and I feel his hand on my shoulder. I look up at him and we make eye contact. He grins softly and gives my shoulder a soft and comforting squeeze before slowly turning away. I can't wipe the gentle smile off of my face as I watch him move, closing my laptop.

__________________________________________

I let out the deepest breath I have all day as I tape up the final box of my stuff. The last month and a half has been absolute madness and now, just a few days before our show's opening night I'm frantically moving into my new place. Exhausted I fall back onto the floor with my head where my bed used to be, closing my eyes. A shadow falls over my closed eyes and I blink them open. Robert is standing there, upside down from the position I am in. We smile softly at each other.

"You ready to go?" he asks. "Jon's back with the car, so we can take the last load now" I nod and slowly sit up, then stand. Reaching for a box and tucking it under one arm, Robert's done the same. Then he offers me his free hand, I look at it for a moment and then slowly reach out mine to grasp his. He gives my hand a gentle squeeze and we walk out of my apartment for the final time.